Travel news review of 2016: 10 things we learned

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Between Brexit and Trump, Paris and Brussels, the travel industry’s recollection of 2016 will be as starkly tumultuous as everyone else’s.

While there’s no point in attempting to polish the proverbial, let us at least try to find some oases of calm amidst the tempest that was the last 12 months. Join us as we navigate the terror warnings and tumbling currencies as we look back at some of the most memorable travel stories of the year.

2. It was another bad year for Egypt

The Egyptian government announced that it was spending £26 million on improvements to security in the wake of the bombing of a Russian passenger jet after it had left Sharm el-Sheikh Airport, as well as an attack on a hotels in Hurghada. However, despite the addition of extra CCTV cameras, sniffer dogs and X-ray machines, the Foreign Office continues to ban UK airlines from flying to the Red Sea resort, despite protestations from Egypt that the restrictions are damaging its economy.

3. There's a new holder of the longest flight title

Never has the battle for the world’s longest non-stop flight route felt so important. Airlines seemed to spend 2016 falling over each other to launch new 9,000-mile schleps in the hope of securing the accolade. And while a new airline seized the title this year, it was not actually a new service. Nope, the guile of Air India ensured that its Delhi to San Francisco route is now number one. It simply started flying between the two cities via the Pacific instead of the Atlantic. Sneaky. Read more here.

4. Cuba has opened up to tourism - but it's a mixed blessing

This year has been both historic and turbulent for Cuba. The island’s thaw in relations with the US has triggered a wave of American aircraft, cruise ships and tourists, placing increasing pressure on infrastructure. Add to that the death of Fidel Castro and Cuba can lay claim to having one of the most topsy-turvy 2016s in the world. While the opening up of the country is good news for Americans keen to explore the nation (and should benefit many residents of the Caribbean nation), some UK tour operators suspended their holidays there after it became clear that Cuba was struggling to cope. The island even started running out of beer, for Pete's sake.

Tourism is booming in Cuba

5. Terror is changing how we travel

It feels like 2016’s year of terror began in Paris in November 2015. From that night in the French capital, when 130 were killed, authorities traced the suspects to Brussels, where months later another attack would take place. The continent was already on high alert when in July, on Bastille Day, a lorry was driven through crowds of revellers on the promenade in Nice, killing more than 80 people. Germany, likewise, has seen a number of incidents linked to terror, ending the year with another lorry attack in its capital, Berlin.

There is no denying the effect such terrorism has on holidaymakers. Egypt is still reeling from the downing of a Russian jet that led to the effective closure of Sharm el-Sheikh; Paris has seen its visitor numbers and revenue tumble; while Turkey, which has experienced some of the worst unrest in Europe, is watching its tourism industry crumble. The unrest means that traditional destinations are dropping off our radar, with new ones emerging.

6. A very boozy leopard can change its spots

Spain saw a record number of visitors in 2016, thanks in part to terror concerns elsewhere in Europe. Majorca has been particularly oversubscribed, with authorities even considering a ban on tourist hire cars and limits on cruise ship visitors. The most surprising story from the island, however, has been the ongoing reinvention of Magaluf. Best known for the sort of debauchery that would have Caligula nodding in approval, with rowdy Britons drinking themselves into oblivion and then removing their clothes, the resort is now trying to become an upmarket, family-friendly place. Not convinced? The team behind the £214 million regeneration insist the ploy is working. Read more here.

7. We learned only one thing from Brexit (so far)

In May we published an article detailing how we thought Brexit might affect your holiday. After the leave vote in June, we revisited the piece and assessed each issue again, from roaming charges and border control to flight delay compensation. And the truth is, both then and now, we’re still none the wiser on all but one issue. Namely, that the decision to ditch the EU has hit the spending power of British travellers. After years of plenty, with a pound purchasing up to €1.40 in May 2015, that tumbled to €1.10, with some airport bureaux selling at below parity. It has since recovered slightly, with £1 currently worth €1.17

8. Long-haul flights are getting cheaper

While some airlines have trained their eye on flying their planes as far as possible, others are more concerned with making their fares as cheap as possible. The growth of the low-cost, long-haul market has seen the likes of WOW air and Norwegian competing with increasingly startling headline-grabbing fares, such as New York for £99.

9. Animals have never been more important

In lighter news, in October, a passenger plane at Kathmandu International Airport in Nepal was forced to abandon its landing after the pilot spied a goat on the runway, forcing the aircrtaft to “goat around”. It is not the first time that schedules at the airport have been impacted by animals. Security there have had to contend with monkeys, dogs, rats, rodents, cats, cows and buffaloes in the past.

Meanwhile, in May, animals were not the source of airport disruption, but instead the remedy. As hours of delays hit security at terminals across America, as the Transportation Security Administration struggled with the volume of passengers, one airport in Kentucky recruited the services of a therapy pony to calm irate fliers.

And the winners of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, of which Telegraph Travel's Oliver Smith is a judge, were announced in November. This arctic fox (or rather the lady who snapped it, Angela Bohlke) took first prize. The animal, and its brilliant hunting technique, also featured in David Attenborough's Planet Earth II, quite possibly the best show on TV in 2016.